Places of gathering and belonging have been essential to communities for millennia, and the human need for connection, collaboration and fellowship is perhaps stronger than ever.
As the University of Washington envisions the new Ana Mari Cauce Welcome Center as a new “front door” to the University, partnerships are key to thoughtfully creating a space where belonging and community-building will thrive.
Drawing from the deep expertise of Washington state’s Native American communities in creating spaces of inclusion and belonging, a statewide Indigenous Advisory Work Group is contributing key insights and reflections to help shape this vision for the Welcome Center — how it will tell the story of UW’s history and future, and serve prospective UW students and families, alumni, and community members from all walks of life — while reinforcing a sense of belonging and inclusion.
The work group, composed of representatives from the Puyallup, Makah, Spokane and Colville tribes, is led by Yakama tribal member Mike Tulee, ’93, ’15, executive director of the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation and a former trustee of the UW Alumni Association.
“We’ve put together a ‘think tank’ to bring the best thoughts on cultural approaches and appropriateness, to put our best foot forward in making this Welcome Center a very powerful component of our campus,” Tulee says.
Taking time to listen, learn and understand
The Ana Mari Cauce Welcome Center will be located adjacent to the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, which is nationally recognized for its collaborative relations with tribal communities. As it becomes part of the neighborhood in the northwest corner of the UW Seattle campus, the Welcome Center has a special obligation when inviting and welcoming audiences to the land upon which the UW resides.
In partnership with Welcome Center designers and planners working to create a sense of place, belonging and sustainability while welcoming people to the land, Tulee and Paul Rucker, ’95, ’02, UW vice president for alumni and stakeholder engagement and lead administrator for the Welcome Center, continue to connect with tribal leaders throughout the state, taking time to listen, learn and better understand the intentional traditions and approaches of Indigenous peoples.
These insights are meaningfully reflected in the purpose and development of the programs, spaces and landscapes at the Welcome Center, where visitors will understand the connections to present-day communities and their long histories on this land.
“The Welcome Center will tell the story of what it means to join the University of Washington community, one that recognizes and celebrates the contributions of our first peoples,” Rucker says. “It is an important opportunity to elevate awareness of the deep history and cultural significance of the land on which we learn, work and gather.”